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Jean-Paul Fonte and Claire Taylor

Shady Oaks Subdivision in Crowley, La. / Crowley Police Department

Flooding on Hwy. 190 between Lawtell and Opelousas / Freddie Herpin

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As heavy rains continue to fall across Acadiana, rising waters have forced a state of emergency in St. Landry Parish and residents are being evacuated from flooded homes in Eunice, Church Point, Carencro and Crowley.

One woman in Eunice reported escaping from her car in waist-high water to get to her mother’s house before her car was washed away in the floodwaters.Water is reported in homes in Broussard, Youngsville and Duson but not in the city of Lafayette. The Vermilion River had reached flood stage by Wednesday, however, and is continuing to climb.

High waters have forced closures of several key roadways, including Highway 190 between Eunice and Opelousas in St. Landry Parish and a portion of I-49 has been closed south of Opelousas.A number of accidents have been reported throughout Acadiana as high water obscures the roadways. Sandbags are available in most parishes.

Local Red Cross representatives are in touch with area homeland security officials to identify hardest-hit by wind and water damage, according to Tony Credeur, director of the Acadiana Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The hardest-hit areas, like Eunice in Acadia Parish, are inaccessible at this time, Credeur said. Officials are taking people evacuated from their homes to area fire departments. They’re being encouraged to stay with family and friends until the Red Cross can get in to help, he said.

More than 12 inches of rain fell in Eunice Wednesday and today, the highest total rainfall the National Weather Service in Lake Charles has seen in its coverage area, hydrologist Jonathan Brazzell said.

More precisely, 12.25 inches of rain fell in Eunice. By comparison, 9.35 inches fell in Crowley, 7.79 inches in Opelousas and 7.12 inches in Abbeville, he said.Other area totals include 5.91 inches in Jeanerette, 5.75 inches in Lafayette and 4.98 inches in New Iberia.

Lafayette Parish *In flood-prone Carencro, there were reports of several homes being flooded on Fado Street and water was threatening to inundate Gloria Switch Road by about 10:30 a.m. Officers have been sent out by boat to check the homes and assess the damage. Fado Street has been closed by the high water.Rising water is threatening homes off Gloria Switch Road west of University. Sandbags are available at the community center. *In Broussard/Youngsville/Duson, some residents were reporting water seeping into homes by about 10 a.m. Thursday but Broussard police said they had not received any reports of high water. Barricades have been set up on Beacon Drive and Hill Ridge in Youngsville. The roads cross a coulee which is backing up into the roadways. *In Lafayette, flood water is rushing over three roadways in Lafayette Parish strong enough to carry motor vehicles away and endanger lives, Kip Judice, spokesman for the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, said.

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They include Elias G. Road near Breaux Road, Bourque Road at Coulee Ill Des Cannes, and Robley at the Lafayette/Vermilion Parish line.

Do not try to go around road closed signs or barricades.

Motorists also are reminded that water is threatening to enter homes in some areas and the wake from traveling cars could push water into homes, so avoid unnecessary travel where water has topped the roadway, especially in subdivisions, Judice said.

The Sheriff’s Office has received a few calls for vehicles trapped in high water, he said. Unlike the Carencro flood six months ago, this is a parishwide event.

The Vermilion River at Surrey Street is almost at 14 feet and still rising, said Jonathan Brazzell, hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles.

The river is expected to crest at 14 ½ feet, but it’s difficult to predict when that will happen.

A lot of water is still coming up the Vermilion River from the south, Brazzell said. Heavy rain fell in Abbeville and places south of Lafayette, causing the Vermilion River to flow north, he said.

The river flow has to reverse itself and then Lafayette has to deal with water flowing south from upstream, Brazzell said.

Sandbags are available for residents of Lafayette parish. Residents can fill their own sandbags at the north and south public works barns. The north barn is at Shantel and North Dugas Road. The south barn is on Fortune Road. Sand, shovels and bags are provided, said Terry Cordick, associate public works director, operations and maintenance.

St. Landry ParishAs of 11:30 a.m., 6 to 10 inches of rain has fallen over the past 24 hours in parts of Acadiana, according to the National Weather Service in Lake Charles.Runoff from this excessive rainfall will cause flash flooding in some locations. They may include parts of St. Landry and Evangeline parishes, including Opelousas, Bayou Current, Eunice, Krotz Springs, Leonville, Mamou, Melville, Ville Platte and Chataignier.These areas, along with Allen Parish and parts of Rapides and Avoyelles parishes, are under a flash flood warning until 7:30 p.m.

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St. Landry Parish President Bill Fontenot has declared a state of emergency for St. Landry Parish, where heavy flooding in Eunice, Lawtell and Cankton have flooded homes and forced closures of key roadways, including Highway 190 between Eunice and Opelousas.The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office is sending a high-water rescue truck into key areas to check on residents in the area.A horse farm along the Evangeline Thruway just south of Opelousas had all its pastures under way but it was not clear if animals were being evacuated.

Acadia Parish*Church Point residents who live along Bayou Plaquemines side of the Acadia Parish town have been evacuated because of rising water.Church Point Police Chief Albert Veneble said residents living on on the southern portions of Church Point along Bayou Plaquemine on Maurice Street were asked to evacuate. Officials are expected to have a shelter set up by mid-day.*In Crowley, homes in the Shady Oaks area have been flooded and residents reportedly have been taken out by boat.Crowley officers are going door-to-door in some areas and evacuating residents in those areas who want to leave. Police officials said water is waist-high in some areas.Police said Crowley has received 7-10 inches of rain.

St Mary Parish

Street flooding was reported in Bayou Vista with portions of Southeast Boulevard and Delmar Avenue closed because of high water. Tracy Landry with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's office said flooding was not severe by mid-morning.

St. Mary Parish is experiencing some street flooding, but “nothing major,” according to Duval Arthur, director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security.

“Morgan City, Berwick, Patterson, Franklin, Baldwin” all got water, he said. “Bayou Vista got hit real hard,” but no flooded homes have been reported.About 11 inches of rain fell in parts of St. Mary Parish from 6 a.m. Wednesday until 9:30 a.m. today. About seven inches of that fell since midnight, Arthur said.

VermilionA few houses in Vermilion Parish have have water in them. They are on 3rd Street, 7th Street and in Simon Addition off La. 14 in Gueydan, according to Rebecca Broussard, director of the Vermilion Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security.